Hope in Darkness
by Geo the Arch
Summary: An Old Storyteller has one final tale for the people of Regalia. Note: Many years after the Underland Chronicles. Told in storyteller fashion, that is lots of vagueness and few details. You decide what my tales means. Reviews always welcome.


Dear Readers, please be gentle. This came to me late at night, and is my spin-off of the Underland Chronicles saga. You may note that I am very vague when referring to people. I did this on purpose. If I get enough reviews, and the time, I can be persuaded to make this a full novel. That said, note that I do not claim this world as my own, nor it's characters. The only thing I can claim is my spin on things and a boy of 16 and his friends.

Enjoy

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I am but a man, and a humble man at that. I cannot say I have lived a great and wonderful life, nor can I claim to be a warrior, skilled in both war and peace. I am, but a humble story teller, fit only to give this tale of long ago. A tale of hero's and legends, of war and great battles, of prophesies that foretold our land's salvation. Permit this humble storyteller to tell you one last tale, a tale of hope and despair, of valiant knights and queens. The true ending to all that has been both spoke and written

Long ago, their lived a child from above, humble in origin, without knowledge or wisdom. It is he who the prophesies were destined for. You all know the stories of the Warrior Who is Not; you all have read the scrolls. You know of his bond, and of the great feeling between them. In the final battle, you know what their fate was. So did one pass on, giving life for many others. Sacrifice, you all know the word! Know you not, its true meaning. I tell you this, sacrifice is the greatest thing one can offer for the good of others. So the warrior's companion was lost. Many believed the bond broken, but I tell you this. It is not.

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Long passed have the days of the Flyers. They have withdrawn from this world, nevermore to be seen. When I was a young man, did Flyers roam our lands, as allies and friends. They fled, did the Flyers, along with the bond that had been called upon so many times in our history. Gone was the love, gone the friendship, gone the one thing that could overcome even death.

I hear you scoff, but listen further. Six long and troublesome years did pass after the warrior who is not left us. Six years for the princess to grow and take her throne at long last. Not soon after, trouble again arose in our lands, and this time there was no Warrior to answer the people's cries. We fought, as we always have, and hundreds fell against the foe. Hope abandoned us, and a last stand was made at Regalia. During this time, something happened that all did not expect. Another fell from above, and was found by the ones hidden by darkness. He was brought to us, and his wounds treated.

Trapped as we were, the boy of sixteen was condemned to suffer our own fate, but his fate was not intertwined with our doom. The boy had been hidden in the deepest cavern, so that as we made our final stand, he might yet live. It was in that darkest of caverns he came upon a myth. A sword, of a watery blue steel did he find, and a red marking on its hilt. Nameless was the blade until his hand touched it. Hand met hilt and Talon met the boy.

A swordsman the boy would never be, not without Talon. When boy and sword met, a magic was revived, the ancient ways remembered. Long before the Warrior Who is Not, great forces reigned, imparting their blessing where they chose. Talon held two blessing for the Overlander, the skill of sword craft and that of Leadership. Pressed to the arena were the last of the fighting men, defending the entrance of the underground caverns where all we held dear hid, when he emerged holding the sword in front of him.

Many a dark knight strove to smite the boy that day, and both Flyer and human watched in fear and then awe as one after another fell to his blade. But even he was human, and his exertion caused him to fall. Seeing their chance, the dark hoard gathered once more, and all would have been lost but for a heroic Flyer, risking her life to shield the boy while he was dragged to safety. Fought once more did we, last of Regalia's swords, led once more by the queen, who had taken up a sword from the field of death. We fought for hope, and the coming of a new day.

After a time the enemy grew disheartened, and when the boy once more appeared, now rested, the black hoard fled. So the day was won, by a boy with no knowledge of war, a sword which all feared, and a Flyer, who knew hope was worth risking one's lifeblood for. The enemy did retreat, and slowly, as history has shown and will show again, we rebuilt. The Flyer and the boy became close, and in time they were Bonded.

After a time, the boy and the Flyer simply vanished. They told few where they went, but simply left, flying off into the darkness. Word reached us occasionally, of his whereabouts, and of the new people he brought into our world. Rumor came on the wings of Flyers of an order, of heroes who performed great deeds. Knights of Hope, they called themselves, and slowly, they won back our land. With the freeing of The Fount, the kingdom was whole, and again the Knight and his fellows vanished.

Word reached the queen's ears rarely of the group, and she listened with wonder to the stories that were told on the Walls of the Palace. Finally she herself went venturing to find the Knight who had served in the cities darkest hour, giving no warning, taking only her Bond with her. For days, the palace guards chased the queen, but could not catch her. So they returned in shame, unable to protect the Queen as was their solemn oath. Weeks passed, and the Queen did not return. The people lost hope, and talk was heard of a new regent, until one day, the golden Flyer was seen approaching.

The Queen had found the Knight, and though pressed for information gave none, shutting herself in her chambers for days. It was clear she had seen something life changing, and would not speak of it. Then one night, a young Bonded pair was called into her chambers. The order was simple, find and return the Warrior Who is Not. The young man did as he was bidden, but as youth are wont to do, told those close to him. So the word spread, and when the Warrior Who is Not arrived one day, a great crowd was there to greet him.

The one known as Gregor said nothing, but silently took up quarters close to the Queen's. So the situation remained for several days, while the people wondered why the one who had lost so much, had been called on again to serve. One night, as all were asleep except the wall guards, the Knight came back. The soldier on duty could only say that the Knight landed in the palace, and took off a short time later with a passenger. In the morning, Gregor was not at his accustomed place for the first meal. The question ran throughout the city, where had the Knight taken him?

As truth is held dear, not one person except the Knight knows where Gregor was taken that fateful night. Few will ever know, for on the oath of the Talon, I am surely bound to keep my silence, until the next age comes. The age when this knight passes on and rejoins his bond in the next life. I tell you this, surely as lifeblood runs through my veins. Things happened that night, still beyond my understanding, a force untamed roamed throughout the land. Once more, for the Warrior Who is Not, Hope lived.

End~

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I thank you for reading and bid you a pleasant day. Like it? Send me a review. Think I can fix things? Send me a Review. Want more? You guessed it, send me a review.

Thank You once more

The Author~

Note: Hope in Darkness Copyright 2009 GeotheArch-Writings


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